Fence-post.



0. COLVIN.

'FENCE POST.

Patented Feb. 10, 1914.

APPLIUATION FILED SEPT. 24, 1910.

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COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPN COJVAS'HIIJTUN, D. c.

CHASE COLVIN, OF SOUTH CHARLESTON, OHIO.

FENCE-POST.

reenter.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 10, 1914.

Original application filed January 9, 1909, Serial No. 471,398. Divided and this application filed September To all whom it may concern: I

Be it known that I, Ci-msn CoLvIN, a citi- Zen of the United States, residing at South Charleston, in the county of Clark and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful. Improvements in Fence-Posts, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawm s.

This invention relates to fence posts and more particularly to connectors for securing braces to metallic posts.

The object of the invention is to provide a connector by means of which the adjacent end of the brace may be quickly and easily secured to a metallic post; which can be adjusted longitudinally to the post to support the end of the brace at the desired height; and which will be of such a strong, rigid construction that there will be small liability of the connector breaking or of the same moving relatively to the postunder any strain which may be imposed thereon.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation of a section of fence equipped with my invention; Fig. 2 is a transverse, sectional view of a post showing one form of my invention applied thereto; Fig. 3 is an end elevation of one form of my invention; and Fig. t is a transverse, sectional view of a post showing a modified form of the invention applied thereto.

The present application is a division of the application filed by me Jany. 9, 1909, Ser. No. 471,398, and, in the drawings of this application I have illustrated two embodiments of my invention.

The invention is shown as applied to an end post 1 comprising two sections of angle iron arranged with their concave sides adj acent one to the other and spaced apart to form a slot between the same and extending longitudinally to the post, as indicated at 2. The two sections of the post may be connected one to the other in any suitable manner, but in the present instance I have shown them as connected by transverse bolts 3,

In Fig. 1 of the drawings I have illustrated a section of fence comprising two end posts and an intermediate or line post. These end posts may be arranged at the opposite ends of the fence or they may be arranged at intervals throughout the length of the fence and the number of line posts which are interposed. between the end posts Serial No. 583,632.

at the ends of each section of fence is, of course, to be arbitrarily determined. The fence posts at each end of a section of fence are braced one against the oi her by means of a horizontal brace bar or fence rail 4. This rail may be of any suitable construction, but preferably has its ends hollow and is here shown as a section of pipe. This fence rail or brace bar is connected at opposite ends to the end posts and is supported between its ends by the line posts which are preferably provided with tops having openings to receive it. The ends of the fence rail may be secured to the fence posts in any suitable manner, but preferably this means is adjustable to enable the brace to be connected to the post at different points, thereby avoiding the necessity of setting the post to an exact predetermineddepth in order that the point of connection of the brace bar may be in alinement with the points of support for the brace bar on the other posts. To this end I have provided a connector by means of which the ends of the brace bar may be secured to the post. This connector, in the form shown in Figs. 2 and 3, comprises a plug 5 adapted to be inserted, by driving or otherwise, in the hollow end of the brace bar. This plug has a longitudinally screw-threaded recess 6 adapted to receive the screw-threaded end of a bolt 7 which extends through the slot 2 in the post and has mounted in its opposite end a. suitable part adapted to engage the side of the post. This part preferably comprises a washer 8 having its opposite sides bent to conform to the inclination of the adjacent portions of the angle irons comprising the post. A suitable base is preferably interposed between the plug 5 and the adjacent side of the post. This base is here shown at 9 and is of a diameter slightly larger than the diameter of the plug 5 and thus extends beyond the edges of the plug to form a base against which the end of the brace bar may rest. The base 9 has a central opening through which the bolt 7 extends and is preferably provided on its opposite sides with diverging members or fingers 10 adapted to engage the diverging side members of the post.

In connecting the brace the plug is first driven into the end of the bar and the bolt extended through the slot 2 in the post,

through the aperture in the base 9 and screwed into the plug. By tightening down the bolt the plug and the end of the brace bar in which it is inserted are drawn toward the post and firmly secured thereto. Further, the diverging members of the base and the washer 8 clamp the post firmly between them and grip the same in such a manner as to strongly resist any tendency on the part of the connector to move, thus preventing the end of the brace bar from shifting under any strain that may be imposed thereon. The diver ing members of the base, by their engagement with the post sections, prevent the same from spreading apart. Further, this connector is very strong and there is little or no liability of its being broken. It is very simple in its construction, can be manufactured at a low cost and by means of it the brace may be quickly and easily secured to the post at the desired point. It will be obvious, however, that the connector may take various forms, and, in Fig. 4, I have shown a modified form of connector designed to engage the end of an inclined brace and rigidly connect the same to the post. The form of connector shown in Fig. 4 is designed particularly for use in connection with an inclined brace, such as is shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings and which comprises two parallel angle bars 11 connected one to the other at their upper ends by means of a bolt 12 and spaced a short distance apart to permit the fence wires to pass between them. The connector itself comprises a plate 13 having flanges 14: at its upper and lower edges, respectively. In the present instance, the device is formed from a piece of channel iron having its ends bent inwardly, as indicated at 15, z. 6., toward the post, and adapted to engage the diverging sides of the post near the opposite edges of the post. The

,plate 13 has a central aperture through which extends a bolt 16 which also extends through the slot 2 in the post and has its screw-threaded end extending beyond that side of the post opposite the connector plate 13 where it is provided with a nut 17 and a washer 18, the latter having its edges bent to conform to the inclination of the adjacent portions of the post. The adjacent corner of the upper end of the inclined brace 11 is arranged between the flanges 14 of the plate 13 and bears against the uppermost of these flanges. In the present form of the device the bolt 16 extends beyond the plate 13 and has an eye 19 adapted to extend between the two members of the brace and to receive the bolt 12 by means of which these members are connected one to the other. In this way the bolt serves not only to clamp the connector firmly to the post, but also serves to draw the end of the brace tightly against the plate 13 and prevent the same from being so displaced as to enable it to slip past the upper flange let of the connector plate.

While I have herein shown and described two forms of connector embodying my invention I wish it to be understood that these two forms are so shown and described for the purpose of illustration only and that the invention can be embodied in connecting devices of various forms and that these devices can be used in connection with braces and fence posts of various kinds. I, therefore, wish it to be understood that I do not desire to be limited to the details of construction shown and described, for obvious modifications will occur to a person skilled in the art.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination, with a fence post comprising a plurality of sections, and a brace adapted to be secured to said post at one corner thereof, of a base disposed between said post and brace, said base having members adapted to firmly embrace adjacent sides of said sections, a connector secured to said brace and having a threaded opening therein, means at right angles to each other for securing said post sections together and for securing said brace to said post, the means for securing said brace to said post being adapted to be inserted through said post and into said threaded opening from the corner of said post opposite to that at which said brace is secured to said post.

2. The combination, with a fence post comprising a plurality of sections, means for securing said sections together, and a brace for said post consisting of a section of pipe, of a connector comprising a plug adapted to be secured to said brace by being driven into the end thereof, said connector having a threaded opening extending longitudinally thereof, a base disposed between said brace and post and having diverging members adapted to engage adjacent side members of said post, a washer having its opposite sides diverging and adapted to engage adjacent sides of said post opposite to those engaged by said base members, and a bolt having one end threaded and adapted to be inserted through an opening in said washer, post and base and screwed into said connector, whereby the base will be firmly secured to said post and the sections of said post will be prevented from spreading apart by the diverging members of said base.

3. The combination, with a fence post comprising two sections of angle iron having their concave sides adjacent one to the other, said sections being spaced apart to form a slot between the same, means extending at an angle to said slot and securing said sections together, and a brace for said post consisting of a section of pipe, of a connector comprising a plug adapted to be secured to said brace by being driven into the end thereof and having a central threaded opening extending longitudinally thereof, a base disposed between said brace and post and having diverging members adapted to engage adjacent side members of said post, a washer having an opening therein and having its opposite sides diverging and adapted to engage adjacent sides of said post opposite to those engaged by said base members, and a bolt having one end threaded and adapted to be inserted through said washer, post and base and screwed into said connector and disposed at an angle to the means for securing the post sections together, said diverging members of the base and washer preventing the post sections from pulling apart.

4. The combination, with a fence post comprising two sections of angle iron hav ing their concave sides adjacent one to the other, said sections being spaced apart to form a slot between them, and a brace for said post, of means for securing said brace to said post and adapted to engage one corner of said post, a part disposed between said post and brace and having members at an angle to each other adapted to engage adjacent side members of said post and prevent the post sections from spreading apart.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHASE COLVIN.

Witnesses:

EDWARD S. REED, ELZA F. MoKnn.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner 0! Patents. Washington, D. G. 

